The present invention relates to a fuel containment medium that is adapted to protect neighboring facilities against fire or explosion of flammable materials accidentally released from above-ground storage tanks.
Historically, the petrochemical industry has favored the storage of flammable liquids in below-ground tanks. However, because of the magnitude of remediation problems created upon tank failure, the above-ground storage of flammable liquids in tanks has recently become more prevalent. Accompanying the return of fuel storage tanks to the surface is the risk of fires and explosions. Technologies are needed to reduce the incidence or impact of such fires.
Codes specify that the surroundings of above-ground storage tanks have a minimum area and be diked. These regulations are based on tank capacity, type of flammable liquid stored, and type of tank, all of which are the variables which define the repercussions to neighboring facilities if the contents released from a tank accidentally ignite and burn. The diked areas between tanks represent valuable real estate, which may not be available in mature installations. Dikes are sized primarily on the basis of their containing the capacity of a tank upon failure. Where possible, dikes are oversized to moderate, to some extent, the impact of spill fires on nearest neighbors. The impact of fire is diminished as tank spacing is increased.
The size of areas to be established around above-ground storage tanks is calculated using the structural integrity of steel-walled tank surfaces as a function of heat fluxes generated by pool fires in dikes containing flammable liquids. These heat fluxes, which are mostly radiative, increase as the height of the fire and its spread rate increase. If such radiative heat fluxes could be reduced, by reducing flame heights and spread rates in dikes, new tanks might be located closer together, and those now in place made safer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel containment medium which, when filled in the diked areas surrounding above-ground tanks for flammable liquid, effectively suppresses flame heights and spread rates of pool fires in said diked areas.
It is another object of the invention to inhibit the explosiveness of the spilled fuel in said areas.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fuel containment medium which is not only effective for the above purposes, but which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to install and maintain.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide methods and systems for the use of said containment medium.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.